Handling Custom Deallocation with ARC in Objective-C

Handling Custom Deallocation with ARC in Objective-C

28 February 2025 Stephan Petzl Leave a comment Xcode

In developing iOS applications, managing memory efficiently is crucial, especially when using Objective-C with Automatic Reference Counting (ARC). One common scenario involves unregistering observers to avoid memory leaks, but with ARC, developers can encounter challenges, particularly when dealing with the deallocation process.

Problem Overview

Consider an iPad application where a “switch language” function uses an observer pattern. Each view controller registers itself with an observer during its viewDidLoad: method, allowing the application to notify all registered objects when a language change occurs. However, when using a TabBarController, viewDidLoad: may not be called, leading to missed notifications.

To address this, developers might move the registration to the init method and logically decide to unregister in dealloc. However, ARC forbids explicit calls to [super dealloc], raising the question: How do you properly manage deallocation?

Solution

Under ARC, the Objective-C runtime handles deallocation, so you don’t need to call [super dealloc]. The deallocation process is automatically managed, as explained in the Clang LLVM ARC documentation.

Implementing Custom dealloc

Here’s how you can implement a custom dealloc without violating ARC rules:


- (void) dealloc
{
    [observer unregisterObject:self];
    // [super dealloc]; //(provided by the compiler)
}

In this approach, you simply unregister the object and omit the [super dealloc] call, as the compiler takes care of it.

Enhancing Testing with Repeato

While managing memory with ARC streamlines development, ensuring that your app responds correctly to observer notifications, especially after changes like language switching, can be challenging. This is where automated testing tools like Repeato come into play.

Repeato is a no-code test automation tool designed for iOS, Android, and web apps. It leverages computer vision and AI to create, run, and maintain automated tests efficiently. This can be particularly beneficial for testing scenarios involving observer notifications and language changes, as Repeato allows for rapid test recording and editing. Additionally, it supports data-driven and keyword-driven testing, ensuring comprehensive test coverage.

By integrating Repeato into your development workflow, you can automate complex tasks, enhance test reliability, and ensure your app functions seamlessly across different scenarios, ultimately improving user experience.

Check it out!

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